Is Sunderland to follow Derry/Londonderry and Hull as the third UK City of Culture in 2021? All will be revealed on Thursday.

The Department of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport has announced that the winner will be revealed on The One Show on BBC One between 7pm and 7.30pm on December 7.

The announcement will be made on an edition of the programme broadcast live from Hull as the city celebrates its successful 12 months in the cultural spotlight.

Revealing the winner will be arts and culture minister John Glen.

In the run-up to the winner being announced, each of the five shortlisted contenders were been allotted a special day on the social media channels of the Depertment of Digital, Culture, Media and Sport.

Sunderland’s special was Tuesday, December 5, with the other hopefuls being Swansea, Coventry, Paisley and Stoke-on-Trent.

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Keith Merrin, chief executive of Sunderland Culture, the company set up to deliver the bid, put the UK CIty of Culture contest in perspective.

“Next Thursday is an important day for the city and we’re all hoping and praying that the result goes our way,” he said.

“But win or lose, the city is in a much different position now than it was when we first declared our intention to bid for the title.

“Not just in terms of infrastructure and substantial investment into our arts and culture sector, and not just in a change of how our city is seen – the bidding process and our shortlisting has given us all a huge confidence boost.

“Others now recognise the journey we’re on and the momentum that the bid has built will continue whether we’re successful next week or not.”

Back in 2003, when Liverpool pipped NewcastleGateshead to the title of European Capital of Culture 2008 – a contest no longer open to the UK as it paves the way for Brexit – the air of despondency did not last long.

The cry soon went up: “2008? Why Wait” The NewcastleGateshead bid team immediately declared that much of its programme would happen anyway with a focus on 2005.

The interest generated by that contest was what spurred the Government to come up with the UK’s own culture contest to be awarded every four years.